Bird Walks
First-of-Month Bird Walks
Bird Walks are meant to be a casual, local morning of birding. They are a great time to enjoy birds with others, find new areas to visit, and/or work on bird identification by sight and sound or to practice your eBird app with help when needed. These walks are usually easy to join or depart at any time during the morning, no commitment to participate in the entire walk if you have limited time. Please, only fully vaccinated participants at this time.
June 1st bird walk: Ridgefield NWR–Carty Unit
Meeting time: 6:30am (or catch up with the group if you want to arrive later)
Meeting location: Ridgefield NWR—Carty Unit (28908 NW Main Ave, Ridgefield, WA) lower parking lot
We will walk the Carty Lake and Oaks-to-Wetlands trail for the wonderful variety of breeding birds that have arrived for the season. For those that wish to join later can text Cindy for current location of the group, please include intended arrival time in your registration email and request contact info if needed.
Adverse winter weather may cause cancellation, registrants should check their email and/or texts the evening before for updates.
Field Trips
Please review the current VAS Guidelines and Waiver before registering for a trip.
Wenas Audubon Campout
June 2-5, 2023
You are invited to a celebration of birds, bats, butterflies, botany, and the beauty of spring in eastern Washington. Each year, Audubon chapters and their friends gather for a few days of camping, birding, and exploring the Wenas Wildlife Area near Ellensburg and Yakima, WA. In 2023, the campout will be held the first week-
end in June, avoiding the crowds of Memorial Day. The casual and friendly gathering offers a variety of activities, including birding field trips, wildflower
walks, field sketching, and evening campfire presentations. Come for the weekend or a single day. There is no charge to attend and no registration is required.
Donations are accepted for organizing costs, including sanitation service.
Information on dispersed camping, activities, and what to expect are on the web-
site, wenasaudubon.org, or follow the Wenas Campout group on Facebook for current information.
Vancouver Audubon Field Trip – Larch Mountain 6/8/2023
Leader: Randy Hill
Trip travel type expectations: Pace: 1-3
Terrain: some C, more D (uphill!) 1.5-3 miles walking
Target species are higher elevation (above 2000’) forest songbirds including warblers and flycatchers, woodpeckers, owls, grouse. And expansive views.
Itinerary: Meet to leave by 06:30 in Hockinson at the Fire District 3 eastside parking lot (17718 NE 159 th St) (45.737992, -122.490038). From there we will head up 139 th St/NE Rawson Road to DNR land east to the L-1510 gate and park at the Larch Mountain trailhead parking area. We will bird our way up to the communications towers on graveled road and some forest trails hoping for Hermit and MacGillivray’s Warblers, hooting Sooty Grouse, possibly a Canada Jay, woodpeckers and several flycatchers. Return within ~3 hours depending on weather.
Randy Hill: re_hill@q.com, or call or text to 360-975-2573
Near-Solstice Nighthawk Evening
June 20, 2023
Leader: Randy Hill
Departure time: flexible
Meeting location: Cold Creek Campground area
Register: not required
The “summer solstice” nighthawk watch is scheduled for the evening of
June 20, with a back-up date of June 22. This is pretty much a meeting point for an evening of socializing and does not require registration. Bring your own chairs, food and drink as we wait to see and hear Common Nighthawk (and many other species) in a traditional summer location. The location is on the Yacolt Burn State Forest and does require a Discover Pass.
Directions: from 182nd Avenue go to 139th Street and turn east, following the main road as it changes to Rawson Road, past the fire station and eventually becomes the L-1400 Road when entering the State Forest nearly six miles up. Continue to the intersection with the L-1000 and turn left toward the Larch Mountain Penitentiary. Just beyond the turnoff into the penitentiary the road turns to gravel; continue north about 2 miles past the Yacolt Burn Trailhead and turn left at the L-1300 Road which has a sign indicating Cold Creek Campground. We usually park about 200 yards after that turnoff.
Vancouver Audubon 